Fluid container



March 1,1938. L. s; BREITMANN FLUID CONTAINER Filed March 17, 1956 INVENTOR. WV

ATTORNEYS A 7 7/479 v 0M Patented Mar. 1, 1938 FLUID OQNTAINER Leo Simon Breitmann, Paris, France, assor to Pyrene Manufacturing Company. N a corporation of Delaware Application March 17, 1936, Serial No. 9,250

' 4 In Germany March 25, 1935 lclaim.

This invention relates to fluid'containers which are adapted to retain. therein carbonic acid in two phases, namely,- gas and liquid, to be released under pressure for use in the production of socalled carbonic acid snow.

Here'toiore containers of the above type have been equipped in some instances withpick-up.

tubes, and in other instances such tubes have been omitted;

It is obvious that it the formertype of container, namely one equipped with a pick-uptube according to prior practice, is held in a vertical position with its exit end uppermost, the liquid content-will be expelled prior to and under the as a gas. of container is held in a vertical posi ion with its action of the gaseous content, whereas it such tube is inverted the entire content will be expelled It is also obvious that ii the latter type exit end uppermost its entire conten will be re-. leased as a gas, whereas it such type is inverted its liquid content will be expelled prior to" and under'the action of its gaseous content.

, up tube and the container in the vicinity of its a From the foregoing, it will become apparent that neither of the above-described containers (in each of the positions mentioned) will insure dis charge of it's liquid content in liquid phase;

An important object of the present invention is to provide a container which isadapted to retain therein carbonic acid in two phases. namely, gas

and liquid, and which is structurally such as to insure discharge oi! the liquid content in liquid Phase regaress oi the position in which the container is he To the a templates a container having an outlet passage "communicating with a pick-up tube, the-container-Qbeing provided at its exit end with a plurality of ducts which convergingly lead from the container toward the exit end thereof and by 'which communication is maintained between the pickexit end, the. combined cross-sectional areas oi.

' such ducts being'equal to the cross-sectional area or the pick-uptube passage in order toeflfect an Q container.

equalization, with regard to rates of discharge, as between the gas and the liquid contents of the Although the invention may be utilized in con nection with carbonic acidcontainers generally, it is herein illustrated as embodied in and forming a-par't of a container unit, equipped with a funnellike nozzle or directing element which renders the unit admirably adapted for use as a fire extinguisher. In the drawinge and other ends the invention con- Fig. 1 is a view partly ii section and partly in elevation of one form of the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged'fragmental view. partly in section and partly in elevation 01 another form of the invention, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on lined-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring particularly to Fig. l-of the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a container, of the socailed cartridge type, adapted to retain therein carbonic acid in two phases, namely, gas and liquid, to-be released under pressure and to be used in the production of so-called carbonic acid "snow. It will be observed that above the level of the liquid content 8, there is afiordeda sub- It will be unfor screw threaded connection with the neck ofr the container and the latter oi which is adapted to receive a directing element, herein shown as a funnel-like nozzle I2 which renders the unit admirably adapted for use as a fire extinguisher,

Disposed withinandscured to the coupling element III, is a pick-up tube it which is substantially coextensive with the container 5, so

that its inlet end is disposed relatively near the inner wall of the cartridge at the closed end thereof. Thls pick-up tube is adapted to communicatewith' the nozzle l2 by way of a series or ducts l5, i6, i1, and I8, constituting an outlet passage, which may be opened or closed at will by a valve 20, equipped with a manually operablehand wheel 2| to facilitate movement of the valve inone direction or the other asoccasion may re- In order that direct communication may be' afi'orded between the container 5 and the pick-up tube. It at or in the vicinity of its exit end, the coupling element I0 is provided with a plurality of ducts 22, which converge toward the axis of the pick-up tube and register with 9. corresponding number 01' port-like apertures 24 formed in that portion oi the pickup tube which is secured within vthe coupling element. As to the ducts 22 and apertures 24, it may be-well to here em, phasize the fact that the total effective area of v thev several paths of communication whichare aiforded by such ducts and apertures is equal to the cross-sectional area of the e aiforded through the pick-up tube It. 4

The operation of the apparatus above described is such that, when the valve 20- is opened (assuming the container 5 to be positioned with its exit end uppermost) liquid 6 will be forced, under the action of gas pressure above the level thereof. upwardly through'the pick-uptube it, and gas will passfrom the space aflorded above the liquid level into the exit end of the pick-up tube, by way of the ducts 22 and the apertures 24, and will there commingle with the liquid to efl'ect a discharge-stream composed of both liquid and gas.

If, however, the cartridge is held, during the discharge period, with its exit end lowermost, liquid will be discharged, under the action of gas pressure above the same, by way of the ducts 22 and the a rtures 24, and gas will enter the pick-up tube, y way of its then'uppermost end, and will be delivered to and commingled with the liquid as it enters that tube byway of said ports and said apertures.

Inasmuch as the eflective passage area of the pick-up tube It is equal to the combined eflective area of the ducts 22 and inasmuch as these ducts convergingly lead from the container toward the exit end thereof and maintain communication between the container and the pick-up tube, there will be eflected an equilibrium with regard torates of discharge as between the gas and the liquid contents of the container, regardless of whether the container is operated in an upright or in an inverted position. For example, if the gas pressure is such that it tends to escape at too rapid a rate with respect to the rate of discharge ofthe liquid, its escape is impeded by is then adapted to enter the pick-up tube at the inlet end thereof, thus increasing the rate of dis charge of the gas incident to a decrease in the rate of e of the liquid.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, wherein primed reference characters areemploy'ed to indicate parts which are similar to those already described in connection with Fig. -1, it will-,be observed that the hand wheel 2 i which is adapted to move the valve (not shown but corresponding of course to the valve 20) to opened and closed positions, is arranged at the end of the valve housing rather than at the side thereof, and that the funnel-like nozzle i2 is'attached to the valve housing at the side thereof rather than at the end thereof.

In view of the fact that the changes which are peculiar to the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3 may be adapted without in any way modifying the operation of the invention as already described, it is believed that any detailed description orthev operation of the modified structure is here unnecessary.

Aside from the modifications above described, it will be understood that various other changes may be made without departing from the spirit ,of the invention or the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A fluid container unit comprising a container adapted for the retention of a compressible fluid in two phases, namely, gas and liquid, to be released; a coupling element carried at one end of said container and having an outlet passage and provided with a plurality of ducts grouped about said passage and convergingly leading from the interior of said container toward the axis of said passage; and a pick-up tube disposed within and extending longitudinally of said container, said pick-up tube being in communication at its inlet end with said container at a point longitudinally remote from said coupling element. and also communicating with said container by way of said ducts, the eflective passage-area of said pick-up tube being equal to the combined effective area of said ducts.

LEO SIMON B. 

